cps framework for teaching 2016 special education...

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CPS FRAMEWORK FOR TEACHING 2016 Special Education Critical Attributes May 2016 • Office of Teaching and Learning The CPS Framework for Teaching provides a common definition of effective teaching for both administrators and teachers, and is also used to analyze and rate evidence of teaching practice for the purposes of REACH Students. The Framework differs from the prior checklist evaluation system in that it is meant to more fully describe aspects of teaching so that teachers can improve their instructional practices, grow professionally, and as a result have clear direction to improve their evaluation outcomes. Administrators should gather evidence from observations and conferences, engage teachers in collegial conversations about their practice, and come to evaluative conclusions based on a cycle of observation, dialogue, and feedback. In using The Framework to evaluate teacher practice, evaluators should consider the preponderance of evidence and not expect to see everything described in each component of The Framework in every observation or conference. CPS and CTU worked together to develop these Special Education Critical Attributes to help describe special education teaching at each level of performance in The Framework for Teaching. These Special Education Critical Attributes are intended to interpret the framework for special education settings, taking into account the special needs of our students and how that may affect teaching practices, to provide further clarity for teachers and administrators. They should be used instead of the general education critical attributes when observing a teacher in a special education setting. These Special Education Critical Attributes represent, on a small scale, descriptions of what one might see and/ or hear in a special education classroom or conference. They are not exhaustive and should neither be used as a checklist themselves nor used to justify ratings. When determining a level of performance following a classroom observation and post-conference, the evaluator must use the language of The Framework. Critical Attributes can be used in several ways to help improve teaching and learning. As Charlotte Danielson writes: “Critical Attributes” for each level of performance for each component…provide essential guidance for observers in distinguishing between practice at adjacent levels of performance. They are of enormous value in training and in the actual work of observation and evaluation.” 1 First, the Special Education Critical Attributes can help teachers reflect on practice, suggesting new ways to think about improving teaching within components and within the context of a special education setting. Second, they may be useful during a post-conference to help identify concrete next steps during conversation between teacher and evaluator. Third, the Special Education Critical Attributes may help clarify patterns at the different performance levels across the four domains. These Special Education Critical Attributes cannot take the place of professional conversations among teachers or of administrators, evaluators, colleagues and other stakeholders providing teachers with concrete suggestions, resources and support. We encourage teachers and administrators to find innovative and appropriate ways to use this tool to improve teaching and learning. We are publishing this with the knowledge that much will be learned when it is put to use in schools. Consistent with best practice as new tools are released, we plan to revise these Special Education Critical Attributes as needed, after soliciting teacher and administrator input to ensure these remain an accurate and supportive tool moving forward. 1 Danielson, Charlotte. Introduction. The Framework for Teaching: Evaluation Instrument. Princeton, NJ: Danielson Group, 2013.

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  • CPS FRAMEWORK FOR TEACHING

    2016 Special Education Critical Attributes

    May 2016 • Office of Teaching and Learning

     The CPS Framework for Teaching provides a common definition of effective teaching for both administrators and teachers, and is also used to analyze and rate evidence of teaching practice for the purposes of REACH Students. The Framework differs from the prior checklist evaluation system in that it is meant to more fully describe aspects of teaching so that teachers can improve their instructional practices, grow professionally, and as a result have clear direction to improve their evaluation outcomes. Administrators should gather evidence from observations and conferences, engage teachers in collegial conversations about their practice, and come to evaluative conclusions based on a cycle of observation, dialogue, and feedback. In using The Framework to evaluate teacher practice, evaluators should consider the preponderance of evidence and not expect to see everything described in each component of The Framework in every observation or conference. CPS and CTU worked together to develop these Special Education Critical Attributes to help describe special education teaching at each level of performance in The Framework for Teaching. These Special Education Critical Attributes are intended to interpret the framework for special education settings, taking into account the special needs of our students and how that may affect teaching practices, to provide further clarity for teachers and administrators. They should be used instead of the general education critical attributes when observing a teacher in a special education setting. These Special Education Critical Attributes represent, on a small scale, descriptions of what one might see and/ or hear in a special education classroom or conference. They are not exhaustive and should neither be used as a checklist themselves nor used to justify ratings. When determining a level of performance following a classroom observation and post-conference, the evaluator must use the language of The Framework. Critical Attributes can be used in several ways to help improve teaching and learning. As Charlotte Danielson writes:

    “Critical Attributes” for each level of performance for each component…provide essential guidance for observers in distinguishing between practice at adjacent levels of performance. They are of enormous value in training and in the actual work of observation and evaluation.”1

    First, the Special Education Critical Attributes can help teachers reflect on practice, suggesting new ways to think about improving teaching within components and within the context of a special education setting. Second, they may be useful during a post-conference to help identify concrete next steps during conversation between teacher and evaluator. Third, the Special Education Critical Attributes may help clarify patterns at the different performance levels across the four domains. These Special Education Critical Attributes cannot take the place of professional conversations among teachers or of administrators, evaluators, colleagues and other stakeholders providing teachers with concrete suggestions, resources and support. We encourage teachers and administrators to find innovative and appropriate ways to use this tool to improve teaching and learning. We are publishing this with the knowledge that much will be learned when it is put to use in schools. Consistent with best practice as new tools are released, we plan to revise these Special Education Critical Attributes as needed, after soliciting teacher and administrator input to ensure these remain an accurate and supportive tool moving forward.

                                                                                                                             1 Danielson, Charlotte. Introduction. The Framework for Teaching: Evaluation Instrument. Princeton, NJ: Danielson Group, 2013.    

  • 1a       Unsatisfactory   Basic   Proficient   Distinguished  

    Fram

    ework  Lang

    uage

     

    Teacher  demonstrates  little  to  no  knowledge  of  relevant  content  standards  within  and/or  across  grade  levels.  Teacher  demonstrates  no  knowledge  of  the  disciplinary  way  of  reading,  writing  and/or  thinking  within  the  subject  area.  Teacher  demonstrates  little  understanding  of  prerequisite  knowledge  important  to  student  learning  of  the  con-‐tent/skills.  Teacher’s  plans  reflect  little  or  no  understanding  of  the  range  of  pedagogical  approaches  suitable  to  student  learning  of  the  content/skills  being  taught.  

    Teacher  demonstrates  knowledge  of  the  relevant  content  standards  within  the  grade  level  but  displays  lack  of  awareness  of  how  these  concepts  relate  to  one  another  and/or  build  across  grade  levels.  Teacher  demon-‐strates  some  knowledge  of  the  disciplinary  way  of  reading,  writing,  and/or  thinking  within  the  subject  area.  The  teacher  demon-‐strates  some  understanding  of  prerequisite  learning,  although  knowledge  of  relation-‐ships  among  topics  may  be  inaccurate  or  incomplete.  Teacher’s  plans  reflect  a  limited  range  of  pedagogical  approaches  suitable  to  student  learning  of  the  content/skills  being  taught.    

    Teacher  demonstrates  knowledge  of  the  relevant  content  standards,  within  and  across  grade  levels.  Teacher  demonstrates  knowledge  of  the  disciplinary  way  of  read-‐ing,  writing,  and/or  thinking  within  the  sub-‐ject  area.  Teacher  demonstrates  accurate  understanding  of  prerequisite  learning  and  relationships  among  topics  and  concepts.  Teacher’s  plans  reflect  a  range  of  effective  pedagogical  approaches  suitable  to  student  learning  of  the  content/skills  being  taught.  

    Teacher  demonstrates  knowledge  of  the  relevant  content  standards  within  the  grade  level  and  across  grade  levels,  as  well  as  how  these  standards  relate  to  other  disciplines.  Teacher’s  plans  demonstrate  extensive  knowledge  of  the  disciplinary  way  of  read-‐ing,  writing,  and/or  thinking  within  the  sub-‐ject  area.  Teacher  demonstrates  deep  un-‐derstanding  of  prerequisite  learning  and  relationships  among  topics  and  concepts.  Teacher’s  plans  include  a  range  of  effective  pedagogical  approaches  suitable  to  student  learning  of  the  content/skills  being  taught  and  anticipate  student  misconceptions.  

    Special  Edu

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    1. Unit  and/or  lesson  plans  do  not  include  developmentally  ap-‐propriate  content  standards.  

    2. Unit  and/or  lesson  plans  do  not  include  developmentally  ap-‐propriate  strategies  that  re-‐quire  reading,  writing  or  think-‐ing  in  the  content  area.  

    3. Unit  and/or  lesson  plans  in-‐clude  developmentally  appro-‐priate  content  that  is  not  se-‐quenced  based  on  prior  lessons  or  prior  student  knowledge.  

    4. Unit  and/or  lesson  plans  in-‐clude  instructional  strategies  that  are  not  appropriate  for  the  content  or  students’  learning  styles.  

    1. Unit  and/or  lesson  plans  include  devel-‐opmentally  appropriate  content  stand-‐ards  but  they  may  not  be  entirely  ap-‐propriate  for  the  grade  level  or  properly  sequenced.  

    2. Unit  and/or  lesson  plans  include  some  developmentally  appropriate  strategies  that  require  reading,  writing  or  thinking  in  the  content  area  but  they  may  not  be  fully  described  or  appropriately  select-‐ed.  

    3. Unit  and/or  lesson  plans  include  some  gaps  in  appropriate  content  or  the  se-‐quence  of  content  does  not  fully  build  on  prior  lessons  or  student  knowledge.  

    4. Unit  and/or  lesson  plans  include  a  lim-‐ited  range  of  instructional  strategies  that  are  somewhat  appropriate  for  the  content  and  students’  learning  styles.  

    1. Unit  and/or  lesson  plans  include  stand-‐ards  that  are  developmentally  appro-‐priate  and  are  properly  sequenced.  

    2. Unit  and/or  lesson  plans  include  devel-‐opmentally  appropriate  strategies  re-‐quiring  reading,  writing  and/or  thinking  in  the  content  area.  

    3. Unit  and/or  lesson  plans  include  con-‐tent  that  is  developmentally  appropri-‐ate  and  builds  on  prior  lessons  and  student  knowledge.  

    4. Unit  and/or  lesson  plans  include  a  de-‐velopmentally  appropriate  range  of  in-‐structional  strategies  that  are  appro-‐priate  for  the  content  and  students’  learning  styles.  

    1. Unit  and/or  lesson  plans  include  devel-‐opmentally  appropriate  connections  to  standards  from  related  disciplines.  

    2. Unit  and/or  lesson  plans  include  devel-‐opmentally  appropriate  strategies  that  connect  reading,  writing  and/or  think-‐ing  within  the  content  area  or  to  relat-‐ed  disciplines.  

    3. Unit  and/or  lesson  plans  include  devel-‐opmentally  appropriate  strategies  to  clarify  connections  between  major  concepts  in  the  content.  

    4. Teacher  planning,  evidenced  through  the  pre-‐  and/or  post-‐observation  con-‐ference,  unit  and/or  lesson  plans,  in-‐cludes  developmentally  appropriate  in-‐structional  strategies  to  anticipate  stu-‐dent  questions  and  student  interest.    

           

  • 1b     Unsatisfactory   Basic   Proficient   Distinguished  

    Fram

    ework  Lang

    uage

      The  teacher  demonstrates  little  to  no  under-‐standing  of  how  students  learn  and  does  not  attain  information  about  levels  of  develop-‐ment.  Teacher  does  not  gather  knowledge  about  students’  backgrounds,  cultures,  prior  knowledge,  skills,  language  proficiencies,  learning  styles,  interests,  and  special  needs  and  does  not  indicate  that  such  knowledge  informs  teacher’s  practice.  

    The  teacher  displays  generally  accurate  knowledge  of  how  students  learn  and  attains  information  about  levels  of  development  for  the  class  as  a  whole.  Teacher  gathers  some  knowledge  about  some  students’  back-‐grounds,  cultures,  prior  knowledge,  skills,  language  proficiencies,  learning  styles,  inter-‐ests,  and  special  needs.  

    The  teacher  demonstrates  an  understanding  of  the  active  nature  of  student  learning  and  attains  information  about  levels  of  devel-‐opment  for  groups  of  students.  Teacher  purposefully  gathers  information  from  sev-‐eral  sources  about  most  students’  back-‐grounds,  cultures,  prior  knowledge,  skills,  language  proficiencies,  learning  styles,  in-‐terests,  and  special  needs.  

    The  teacher  demonstrates  an  understanding  of  the  active  nature  of  student  learning  and  attains  information  about  levels  of  devel-‐opment  for  individual  students.  Teacher  purposefully  and  continually  gathers  infor-‐mation  from  several  sources  about  all  stu-‐dents’  individual  backgrounds,  cultures,  prior  knowledge,  skills,  language  proficien-‐cies,  learning  styles,  multiple  intelligences,  interests,  and  special  needs.    

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    1. Unit  and/or  lesson  plans  are  not  de-‐velopmentally  appropriate.  

    2. Teacher  does  not  gather  information  about  student  learning  styles.    Unit  and/or  lesson  plans  do  not  reflect  knowledge  of  student  learning  styles.  

    3. Teacher  is  not  aware  of  different  stu-‐dent  achievement,  skill  or  language  proficiency  levels  and/or  teacher  has  unrealistic  expectations  for  students.  

    4. Teacher  does  not  seek  information  about  students’  cultures  or  interests.  

    5. Teacher  does  not  seek  or  utilize  infor-‐mation  about  the  needs  of  diverse  learners.  

    1. Unit  and/or  lesson  plans  are  develop-‐mentally  appropriate  for  the  whole  class.  

    2. Teacher  gathers  some  information  about  student  learning  styles.  Unit  and/or  lesson  plans  may  not  reflect  knowledge  of  student  learning  styles.  

    3. Teacher  is  somewhat  aware  of  different  student  achievement,  skill  or  language  proficiency  levels.  Teacher  plans  in-‐struction  for  the  whole  class.  

    4. Teacher  acknowledges  student  cultures  and  interests  but  may  not  apply  this  knowledge  to  instructional  plans.  

    5. Teacher  is  aware  of  the  needs  of  di-‐verse  learners  but  may  not  always  ap-‐ply  this  knowledge  appropriately  to  plan  instruction.  

    1. Unit  and/or  lesson  plans  are  develop-‐mentally  appropriate  for  the  class  based  on  students’  IEPs.  

    2. Teacher  gathers  information  about  student  learning  styles.  Unit  and/or  lesson  plans  accommodate  different  student  learning  styles.  

    3. Teacher  is  aware  of  the  achievement  levels  (such  as  “low,”  “medium,”  and  “high”),  skill  levels  and/or  language  proficiency  levels  for  groups  of  stu-‐dents.  Teacher  applies  this  knowledge  to  plan  instruction  to  meet  the  needs  of  these  groups  of  students.  

    4. Teacher  integrates  knowledge  of  stu-‐dent  cultures  and  interests  into  instruc-‐tional  plans.  

    5. Teacher  is  aware  of  the  needs  of  di-‐verse  learners  and  applies  this  knowledge  appropriately  to  plan  dif-‐ferentiated  instruction.  

    1. Unit  and/or  lesson  plans  include  devel-‐opmentally  appropriate  strategies  for  individual  students  based  on  student  characteristics  and  learner  profile  (e.g.  strengths  and  needs  noted  in  the  IEP).  

    2. Teacher  frequently  collects  new  infor-‐mation  about  learning  styles  to  adjust  unit  and/or  lesson  plans.  

    3. Teacher  knowledge  of  student  achievement,  skill  and  /or  language  proficiency  levels  is  often  specific  to  individual  students.  Teacher  applies  this  knowledge  to  plan  instruction  to  meet  the  needs  of  individual  students.  

    4. Teacher  regularly  seeks  information  from  various  sources  about  student  cultures  and  interests  to  incorporate  into  plans.  

    5. Teacher  regularly  seeks  updates  and  additional  information  about  the  needs  of  diverse  learners  in  order  to  apply  this  information  to  more  appropriately  plan  instruction.    

         

  • 1c     Unsatisfactory   Basic   Proficient   Distinguished  

    Fram

    ework  Lang

    uage

     

    Learning  objectives  are  not  standards-‐based,  are  unclear,  or  are  stated  as  activities  rather  than  as  student  learning  outcomes,  prohibit-‐ing  a  feasible  method  of  assessment.  Teach-‐er  does  not  sequence  and  align  learning  objectives  to  build  toward  deep  understand-‐ing  and  mastery  of  the  standards.  Objectives  reflect  only  one  type  of  learning  and/or  only  one  discipline.  

    Learning  objectives  are  partially  standards-‐based,  clear,  written  in  the  form  of  student  learning  outcomes,  aligned  to  methods  of  assessment,  and/or  are  only  written  for  the  class  as  a  whole.  Teacher  demonstrates  an  attempt  to  sequence  and  align  some  stand-‐ards-‐based  learning  objectives,  but  does  not  build  toward  deep  understanding  or  mastery  of  the  standards.  Objectives  reflect  more  than  one  type  of  learning,  but  teacher  has  made  no  attempt  at  coordination  of  the  disciplines.  

    Learning  objectives  are  standards  based,  clear,  written  in  the  form  of  student  learn-‐ing  outcomes,  aligned  to  methods  of  as-‐sessment,  and  varied  to  account  for  the  needs  of  groups  of  students.  Teacher  se-‐quences  and  aligns  standards-‐based  learn-‐ing  objectives  to  build  toward  deep  under-‐standing  and  mastery  of  the  standards.  Ob-‐jectives  reflect  several  different  types  of  learning  and  invite  opportunities  for  coordi-‐nation  within  and  across  the  disciplines.  

    Learning  objectives  are  standards-‐based,  clear,  written  in  the  form  of  student  learn-‐ing  outcomes,  aligned  to  methods  of  as-‐sessment,  and  varied  in  whatever  way  is  needed  to  account  for  individual  students’  needs.  Teacher  sequences  and  aligns  stand-‐ards-‐based  objectives  to  build  toward  deep  understanding,  mastery  of  the  standards,  and  meaningful  authentic  application.  Ob-‐jectives  reflect  several  different  types  of  learning  and  provide  multiple  opportunities  for  coordination  and  integration  within  and  across  the  disciplines.    

    Special  Edu

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    1. Unit  and/or  lesson  plans  do  not  include  learning  objectives  and/or  objectives  are  not  aligned  or  not  appropriate  for  the  content  or  grade-‐level  

    2. Learning  objectives  are  stated  as  what  students  will  do  in  class  rather  than  what  content  or  skills  students  will  learn.  

    3. Learning  objectives  cannot  be  meas-‐ured  for  achievement  as  written.  

    4. Learning  objectives  are  not  sequenced  to  build  toward  student  mastery  in  the  content.  

    5. Learning  objectives  do  not  include  a  range  of  lower-‐  and  higher-‐order  think-‐ing  skills  or  allow  students  to  demon-‐strate  learning  in  different  ways  (i.e.  reading,  writing,  speaking,  collaborat-‐ing).  

    1. Unit  and/or  lesson  plans  include  learn-‐ing  objectives  that  are  somewhat  aligned  and  appropriate  for  the  content  and/or  grade-‐level.  

    2. Learning  objectives  address  the  needs  of  the  whole  class.  Learning  objectives  are  sometimes  stated  as  what  students  will  do  in  class  rather  than  what  con-‐tent  or  skills  students  will  learn.  

    3. Learning  objectives  can  sometimes  be  measured  for  achievement  as  written.  

    4. Learning  objectives  are  somewhat  se-‐quenced  to  build  toward  partial  student  mastery  of  the  content.  

    5. Learning  objectives  include  a  range  of  lower-‐  and  higher-‐order  thinking  skills  and/  or  allow  students  to  demonstrate  learning  in  different  ways  (i.e.  reading,  writing,  speaking,  collaborating).  

    1. Unit  and/or  lesson  plans  include  learn-‐ing  objectives  that  are  developmentally  appropriate  and  aligned  to  the  content.  

    2. Learning  objectives  address  the  needs  of  groups  of  students.  Learning  objec-‐tives  are  developmentally  appropriate  and  represent  what  content  or  skills  students  will  learn.  

    3. Learning  objectives  are  measurable  and  aligned  to  developmentally  appro-‐priate  assessments.  

    4. Learning  objectives  are  developmental-‐ly  appropriately  sequenced  to  build  student  mastery  of  the  content.  

    5. Learning  objectives  may  include  a  range  of  lower-‐  and  higher-‐order  think-‐ing  skills,  ask  students  to  demonstrate  learning  in  purposefully  different  ways  (e.g.  reading,  writing,  speaking,  collab-‐orating),  and/or  create  opportunities  for  interdisciplinary  connections  as  de-‐velopmentally  appropriate  based  on  student  learner  profile.  

    1. Unit  and/or  lesson  plans  include  learn-‐ing  objectives  that  are  developmentally  appropriate  and  aligned  with  prior  and  future  objectives  for  the  content.  

    2. Learning  objectives  accommodate  the  learning  needs  of  individual  students.  Learning  objectives  may  allow  students  to  set  their  own  content  or  skill-‐based  goals  for  learning  when  developmen-‐tally  appropriate.  

    3. Learning  objectives  are  aligned  to  au-‐thentic  assessments  in  the  discipline  and  are  varied  in  developmentally  ap-‐propriate  ways  for  individual  students.    

    4. Learning  objectives  build  toward  real-‐world  application  of  skills  and  content.  

    5. Learning  objectives  integrate  and  co-‐ordinate  a  range  of  thinking  skills,  ways  to  demonstrate  learning  (e.g.  reading,  writing,  speaking,  collaborating),  and/or  interdisciplinary  connections  as  developmentally  appropriate  based  on  student  learner  profile.    

     

  • 1d     Unsatisfactory   Basic   Proficient   Distinguished  

    Fram

    ework  Lang

    uage

     

    Teacher  does  not  coordinate  knowledge  of  content,  students,  and  resources  to  design  units  and  lessons.  Learning  tasks  are  not  aligned  to  objectives.  Tasks  are  not  cognitively  challenging  and  do  not  require  students  to  provide  evidence  of  their  reasoning.  There  is  no  evidence  of  scaffolding  and  differentiation  for  stu-‐dents  to  access  the  content/skills.  The  progression  of  tasks  is  not  coherent  and  has  unrealistic  time  allocations.  Units  and  lessons  do  not  include  grade-‐appropriate  levels  of  texts  and/or  other  materials  and  do  not  represent  a  cogni-‐tive  challenge.  The  lesson  or  unit  does  not  have  a  recognizable  structure  and  makes  no  use  of  instructional  groupings  to  support  the  learning  objectives.  

    Teacher  coordinates  some  knowledge  of  content,  students,  and  resources  to  design  units  and  lessons.  Learning  tasks  are  partially  aligned  to  objectives.  Tasks  are  cognitively  challenging,  designed  for  the  class  as  a  whole,  and  occasionally  require  students  to  provide  evidence  of  their  reasoning.  There  is  some  evidence  of  scaffolding  and  differenti-‐ation  for  some  students  to  access  the  con-‐tent/skills.  The  progression  of  tasks  in  units  and  lessons  is  not  always  coherent,  and  some  time  allocations  are  unrealistic.  Units  and  lessons  include  grade-‐appropriate  levels  of  texts  and  other  materials  that  represent  a  moderate  cognitive  challenge.  The  lesson  or  unit  has  a  recognizable  structure  with  some  evidence  of  instructional  groupings  that  partially  support  the  learning  objectives.  

    Teacher  coordinates  knowledge  of  content,  students,  and  resources  to  design  units  and  lessons.  Learning  tasks  are  aligned  to  objec-‐tives.  Tasks  are  cognitively  challenging,  de-‐signed  for  groups  of  students,  and  require  students  to  provide  evidence  of  their  reason-‐ing.  There  is  evidence  of  scaffolding  and  dif-‐ferentiation  for  most  students  to  access  the  content/skills.  The  units  and  lessons  are  paced  appropriately.  Units  and  lessons  include  grade-‐appropriate  levels  of  texts  and  other  materials,  representing  a  cognitive  challenge.  The  lesson  or  unit  has  a  clear  structure  with  intentional  and  structured  use  of  instructional  groupings  that  support  the  learning  objec-‐tives.  

    Teacher  coordinates  in-‐depth  knowledge  of  content,  students,  and  resources  (including  technology)  to  design  units  and  lessons.  Learning  tasks  are  aligned  to  objectives.  Tasks  are  cognitively  challenging  for  individual  stu-‐dents  and  require  students  to  provide  evi-‐dence  of  their  reasoning.  There  is  evidence  of  scaffolding  and  differentiation  for  all  students  to  access  the  content/skills.  The  units  and  lessons  are  paced  appropriately.  Units  and  lessons  include  grade-‐appropriate  levels  of  texts  and  other  materials  so  every  student  can  access  the  content/skills.  The  lesson  or  unit  has  a  clear  structure  that  incorporates  student  choice,  allows  for  different  pathways  of  in-‐struction  aligned  with  diverse  student  needs,  and  uses  instructional  groupings  intentionally.  

    Special  Edu

    catio

    n  Critical  A

    ttrib

    utes    

     

    1. Unit  and/or  lesson  plan  does  not  align  knowledge  of  student  achievement  levels  and  learning  styles  to  developmentally  appropri-‐ate  content  and  resources.  

    2. Classroom  activities  are  not  planned  to  correspond  to  learning  objectives.  

    3. Classroom  activities  are  not  planned  to  interest  and  engage  stu-‐dents  and  do  not  challenge  them  in  a  developmentally  appropriate  way.  

    4. Classroom  activities  are  not  planned  based  on  knowledge  of  student  achievement  levels  and  learning  styles.  

    5. Classroom  activities  are  not  planned  in  sequence.  Activities  do  not  provide  enough  or  provide  too  much  time  for  student  completion.    

    6. Classroom  texts  and  other  materials  are  too  easy  or  too  difficult  and/or  are  not  content  appropriate.  

    7. Unit  and/or  lesson  plan  does  not  include  anything  except  full  class  instruction.  

    8. Unit  and/or  lesson  plan  is  not  orga-‐nized  and/or  does  not  have  a  logi-‐cal  progression.  

    1. Unit  and/or  lesson  plan  reflects  some  knowledge  of  student  achievement  lev-‐els  and  learning  styles.  Content  and  re-‐sources  are  not  entirely  aligned  to  this  knowledge.  

    2. Classroom  activities  are  planned  to  sometimes  address  learning  objectives.  

    3. Classroom  activities  are  sometimes  planned  to  interest  and  engage  stu-‐dents  and  require  some  developmental-‐ly  appropriate  higher  order  thinking  skills.  

    4. Classroom  activities  are  planned  to  meet  the  needs  of  some  student  achievement  levels  and  learning  styles.  

    5. Classroom  activities  somewhat  build  on  one  another  and  mostly  appropriate  amounts  of  time  are  provided  for  stu-‐dent  completion.  

    6. Classroom  texts  or  other  materials  are  sometimes  challenging  and/or  are  rele-‐vant  in  supporting  some  students’  learning.  

    7. Unit  and/or  lesson  plan  includes  the  use  of  instructional  groups,  but  this  may  not  be  aligned  to  learning  objec-‐tives  or  student  learning  needs.  

    8. Unit  and/or  lesson  plan  is  somewhat  organized  and  follows  a  progression  designed  to  address  the  learning  objec-‐tives  or  student  learning  needs.  

    1. Unit  and/or  lesson  plan  aligns  develop-‐mentally  appropriate  content  and  availa-‐ble  resources  to  student  achievement  levels  and  learning  styles.  

    2. Classroom  activities  are  developmentally  appropriate  and  aligned  to  address  vari-‐ous  learning  objectives.  

    3. Classroom  activities  are  designed  to  in-‐terest  and  engage  students  and  chal-‐lenge  them  to  use  developmentally  ap-‐propriate  higher  order  thinking  skills.  

    4. Classroom  activities  are  designed  to  meet  the  needs  of  most  student  achievement  levels  and  learning  styles.  

    5. Classroom  activities  are  planned  and  paced  so  the  class  can  achieve  the  learn-‐ing  objectives.  

    6. Classroom  texts  or  other  materials  are  developmentally  appropriate  and  rele-‐vant  in  supporting  most  students’  learn-‐ing.  

    7. Unit  and/or  lesson  plan  incorporates  the  use  of  instructional  groups  when  appro-‐priate,  based  on  student  learning  needs.  

    8. Unit  and/or  lesson  plan  is  organized  and  follows  a  progression  designed  to  ad-‐dress  the  learning  objectives  and  student  learning  needs.  

    1. Unit  and/or  lesson  plan  integrates  specif-‐ic  or  unique  content  based  on  knowledge  of  individual  students  and/  or  learning  needs  and  available  resources.  

    2. Classroom  activities  are  coordinated  to  address  developmentally  appropriate  student  selected  learning  objectives  and/  or  the  objectives  for  individual  students.  

    3. Classroom  activities  incorporate  individ-‐ual  student  interests,  choice,  and/or  in-‐quiry.  

    4. Classroom  activities  include  ways  to  meet  the  needs  of  individual  students’  achievement  levels  and  learning  styles.  

    5. Classroom  activities  are  planned  and  paced  to  be  appropriate  for  individual  students.  

    6. Classroom  texts  or  other  materials  are  sometimes  selected  through  a  process  of  student-‐teacher  collaboration  when  de-‐velopmentally  appropriate.  

    7. Unit  and/or  lesson  plan  may  include  flex-‐ible  instructional  groups  based  on  learn-‐ing  objectives,  needs  and/or  student  in-‐put  when  developmentally  appropriate.  

    8. Unit  and/or  lesson  plan  incorporates  student  input  into  activities  or  assess-‐ments  when  developmentally  appropri-‐ate.  

  • 1e     Unsatisfactory   Basic   Proficient   Distinguished  

    Fram

    ework  Lang

    uage

     

    The  plan  for  student  assessment  is  not  aligned  with  the  standards-‐based  learning  objectives  identified  for  the  unit  and/or  lesson.  Assessments  contain  no  criteria  or  descriptors  aligned  to  student  expectations.  Teacher  does  not  select  or  design  formative  assessments  that  measure  student  learning  and/or  growth.  Teacher  does  not  use  prior  assessment  results  to  design  units  and  les-‐sons.  

    The  plan  for  student  assessment  is  partially  aligned  with  the  standards-‐based  learning  objectives  identified  for  the  unit  and/or  lesson.  Assessments  do  not  clearly  identify  and/or  describe  student  expectations.  Teacher  selects  or  designs  formative  as-‐sessments  that  measure  only  part  of  student  learning  or  growth.  Teacher  uses  prior  as-‐sessment  results  to  design  units  and  lessons  that  target  the  class  as  a  whole.  

    The  plan  for  student  assessment  is  aligned  with  the  standards-‐based  learning  objec-‐tives  identified  for  the  unit  and/or  lesson.  Assessment  methodologies  are  designed  or  adapted  for  groups  of  students  as  needed.  Assessments  clearly  identify  and  describe  student  expectations  and  provide  de-‐scriptors.  Teacher  selects  and  designs  form-‐ative  assessments  that  accurately  measure  student  learning  and/or  growth.  Teacher  uses  prior  assessment  results  to  design  units  and  lessons  that  target  groups  of  students.  

    The  plan  for  student  assessment  is  aligned  with  the  standards-‐based  learning  objec-‐tives  identified  for  the  unit  and  lesson.  As-‐sessment  methodologies  have  been  de-‐signed  or  adapted  for  individual  students  as  needed.  Assessment  criteria  are  thorough,  describe  high  expectations  for  students,  and  provide  clear  descriptors.  Teacher’s  forma-‐tive  assessments  are  complex,  well  designed  or  selected,  and  tailored  for  individual  stu-‐dents,  when  necessary,  in  order  to  measure  varying  degrees  of  each  student’s  learning  and  growth  effectively.  Teacher  uses  as-‐sessment  results  to  design  units  and  lessons  that  target  the  diverse  needs  of  every  stu-‐dent.    

    Special  Edu

    catio

    n  Critical  A

    ttrib

    utes    

     

    1. Teacher  does  not  have  planned  devel-‐opmentally  appropriate  assessments  or  assessments  do  not  correspond  to  the  learning  objectives  for  the  unit  and/or  lesson  plan.  

    2. Plans  for  assessment  do  not  include  descriptions,  criteria  or  rubrics  for  stu-‐dent  expectations  or  levels  of  achieve-‐ment.  

    3. Unit  and/or  lesson  plans  do  not  include  developmentally  appropriate  formative  assessments  and/or  formative  assess-‐ments  do  not  provide  feedback  about  student  levels  of  achievement.  

    4. Teacher  does  not  have  a  method  of  using  assessment  feedback  to  inform  future  plans  for  instruction.  

    1. Teacher  plans  include  developmentally  appropriate  assessments  but  they  may  not  entirely  correspond  to  the  learning  objectives  for  the  unit  and/or  lesson  plan.  

    2. Plans  for  assessment  include  some  de-‐scriptions,  criteria  or  rubrics  for  student  expectations  or  levels  of  achievement,  but  they  may  not  be  entirely  clear  or  developmentally  appropriate.  

    3. Unit  and/or  lesson  plans  include  devel-‐opmentally  appropriate  formative  as-‐sessments,  but  they  may  not  be  fully  developed  or  provide  complete  and  ap-‐propriate  feedback  about  student  levels  of  achievement  

    4. Teacher  attempts  to  use  assessment  feedback  to  inform  future  plans  for  in-‐struction  for  the  whole  class.  

    1. Teacher  plans  include  developmentally  appropriate  assessments  that  corre-‐spond  to  the  learning  objectives  and  the  learning  needs  of  groups  of  stu-‐dents.  

    2. Plans  for  assessment  include  clear  and  developmentally  appropriate  descrip-‐tions,  criteria  and/or  rubrics  for  stu-‐dent  expectations  and  levels  of  achievement.  Teacher  may  plan  to  model  and/or  share  examples  (e.g.  student  work).  

    3. Unit  and/or  lesson  plan  includes  devel-‐opmentally  appropriate  formative  as-‐sessments  that  measure  student  levels  of  achievement  for  groups  of  students.  

    4. Teacher  uses  assessment  feedback  to  inform  future  instruction  for  groups  of  students.  

    1. Teacher  plans  for  assessments  are  developmentally  appropriate  for  indi-‐vidual  students.  Plans  for  assessments  may  be  authentic  to  the  content  area  and/or  have  real-‐world  applications  or  connections.    

    2. Plans  for  assessment  may  include  stu-‐dent  choice  or  input  when  develop-‐mentally  appropriate  regarding  de-‐scriptions,  criteria  and/or  rubrics  for  student  expectations  and  levels  of  achievement.  Teacher  may  plan  to  align  examples  (e.g.  student  work)  to  levels  of  achievement  with  students.  

    3. Unit  and/or  lesson  plan  includes  devel-‐opmentally  appropriate  formative  as-‐sessments  that  provide  feedback  about  individual  student  levels  of  achieve-‐ment.  

    4. Teacher  uses  assessment  feedback  to  inform  future  instruction  for  individual  students.    

     

  • 2a     Unsatisfactory   Basic   Proficient   Distinguished  

    Fram

    ework  Lang

    uage  

    Patterns  of  classroom  interactions,  both  between  the  teacher  and  students  and  among  students,  are  mostly  negative  and  disrespectful.  Interactions  are  insensitive  and/or  inappropriate  to  the  ages  and  development  of  the  students,  and  the  context  of  the  class.  The  net  result  of  interactions  has  a  negative  impact  on  students  emotionally  and/or  academically.  

    Patterns  of  classroom  interactions,  both  between  the  teacher  and  students  and  among  students,  are  generally  respectful  but  may  reflect  occasional  inconsistencies  or  incidences  of  disrespect.  Some  interactions  are  sensitive  and/or  appropriate  to  the  ages  and  development  of  the  students,  and  the  context  of  the  class.  The  net  result  of  the  interactions  has  a  neutral  impact  on  students  emotionally  and/or  academically.  

    Patterns  of  classroom  interactions,  both  between  the  teacher  and  students  and  among  students,  are  friendly  and  demonstrate  caring  and  respect.  Interactions  among  students  are  generally  polite  and  respectful.  Interactions  are  sensitive  and  appropriate  to  the  ages  and  development  of  the  students,  and  to  the  context  of  the  class.  The  net  result  of  the  interactions  has  a  positive  impact  on  students  emotionally  and  academically.  

    Patterns  of  classroom  interactions,  both  between  the  teacher  and  students  and  among  students,  are  highly  respectful,  reflecting  genuine  warmth  and  caring.  Students  contribute  to  high  levels  of  civility  among  all  members  of  the  class.  Interactions  are  sensitive  to  students  as  individuals,  appropriate  to  the  ages  and  development  of  individual  students,  and  to  the  context  of  the  class.  The  net  result  of  interactions  is  that  of  academic  and  personal  connections  among  students  and  adults.    

    Special  Edu

    catio

    n  Critical  A

    ttrib

    utes    

     

    1. Teacher  has  not  made  connections  with  students  or  groups  of  students.  

    2. Teacher  uses  disrespectful  language  with  students  and/or  exhibits  actions  that  are  insensitive  to  students’  ages  and  developmental  levels.  

    3. Students  regularly  use  disrespectful  and/or  insensitive  language  that  is  not  developmentally  appropriate  toward  one  another  and/or  the  teacher.  

    4. Many  students  may  criticize  peers  who  volunteer  to  participate  or  engage  in  academic  activities.  

    1. Teacher  attempts  to  make  connections  with  individuals  or  groups  of  students.  Connections  are  partially  successful.  

    2. Teacher  interactions  with  students  are  inconsistent,  with  occasional  use  of  disrespectful  or  insensitive  language.  Teacher  may  show  favoritism  to  groups  or  individuals.  

    3. Students  occasionally  use  disrespectful  and/or  insensitive  language  that  is  not  developmentally  appropriate,  toward  one  another  and/or  the  teacher.  

    4. Some  students  may  criticize  peers  who  volunteer  to  participate  or  engage  in  academic  activities.  

    1. Teacher  successfully  makes  connections  with  students.  Connections  contribute  to  a  caring  and  respectful  tone  in  the  classroom.  

    2. Teachers  are  respectful  of  students  in  all  interactions.  

    3. Teacher  encourages  students  to  be  respectful  of  peers  and  adults  and  addresses  disrespectful  behavior.  

    4. Students  participate  in  collaborative  groups  with  a  developmentally  appropriate  level  of  support.    

    5. Student  interactions  with  teacher  and  classmates  are  developmentally  appropriate  for  their  individual  current  levels  of  functioning.  

    1. Teacher  demonstrates  knowledge  and  caring  about  individual  students’  lives  beyond  the  class  and  school.  

    2. Teacher  supports  (e.g.  modeling,  in  the  moment  skill  instruction)  students  in  making  positive,  developmentally  appropriate  connections  with  peers  and  adults.    

    3. Teacher  encourages  (e.g.  through  cuing  and  prompting)  students  to  take  an  active  role  in  promoting  respect  and  showing  care  about  individual  classmates’  interests  and  personalities.  

    4. Students  demonstrate  progress  (throughout  the  class  and/or  school  year)  in  their  interactions  with  peers  and  adults.  

       

  • 2b     Unsatisfactory   Basic   Proficient   Distinguished  

    Fram

    ework  Lang

    uage  

    The  teacher  creates  a  classroom  culture  that  reflects  a  lack  of  teacher  and/or  student  commitment  to  learning.  The  teacher  fosters  a  culture  in  which  there  is  little  or  no  investment  of  student  energy  into  the  task  at  hand.  The  teacher  does  not  convey  that  practice  or  perseverance  is  expected  or  that  it  results  in  student  success.  The  teacher’s  expectations  for  student  learning  are  medium  to  low,  with  high  expectations  reserved  for  only  a  few  students.  Students  do  not  show  interest  in  task  completion  or  quality.  

    The  teacher  creates  a  classroom  culture  that  reflects  some  teacher  and/or  student  commitment  to  learning.  The  teacher  fosters  a  culture  in  which  there  is  some  investment  of  student  energy  into  the  learning  task  at  hand.  The  teacher  conveys  that  student  success  is  the  result  of  natural  or  innate  ability  rather  than  practice  and  perseverance.  Teacher  conveys  high  learning  expectations  for  some  students.  Students  indicate  that  they  are  interested  in  completion,  rather  than  quality,  of  a  task.  

    The  teacher  creates  a  classroom  culture  that  reflects  teacher  and  student  commitment  to  learning.  The  teacher  fosters  a  culture  in  which  classroom  interactions  indicate  learning  and  hard  work.  The  teacher  conveys  that  with  practice  and  perseverance  students  can  reach  desired  goals.  Teacher  conveys  high  learning  expectations  for  all  students.  Students  take  some  responsibility  for  their  learning  by  indicating  that  they  want  to  understand  the  content  or  master  the  skill  rather  than  simply  complete  a  task.    

    The  teacher  creates  a  classroom  culture  that  reflects  a  shared  belief  in  the  importance  of  learning  and  hard  work.  The  teacher  conveys  high  learning  expectations  for  all  students  and  develops  structures  that  enable  practice  and  perseverance  for  each  individual  student.  Students  assume  responsibility  for  high-‐quality  work  by  persevering,  initiating  improvements,  addressing  critiques,  making  revisions,  adding  detail  and/or  helping  peers.  

    Special  Edu

    catio

    n  Critical  A

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    1. Teacher  conveys  that  there  is  little  or  no  purpose  for  the  work,  and/or  that  it  must  be  done  due  to  external  factors.  

    2. Most  students’  energy  is  directed  toward  off  task  behavior.  

    3. Teacher  conveys  to  some  students  that  the  work  is  too  challenging  for  them.  

    4. Students  exhibit  little  or  no  pride  in  their  work.  

    1. Teacher  conveys  the  importance  of  learning  but  the  purpose  for  the  work  is  tied  to  extrinsic  rewards  or  short-‐  term  goals.  

    2. Most  students’  energy  is  directed  toward  on  task  behavior  but  regular  teacher  redirection  is  necessary.  

    3. Teacher  conveys  high  expectations  for  some  students.  

    4. Students  exhibit  some  commitment  to  complete  their  work  but  they  may  not  attempt  to  reach  higher  levels  of  achievement.  

    1. Teacher  conveys  the  value  of  the  learning  for  its  own  end  and  the  purpose  for  the  work  at  hand,  tying  it  to  larger  goals.  

    2. Teacher  encourages  students  to  stay  on  task  and  supports  them  in  this  endeavor.  

    3. Teacher  conveys  a  belief  in  students’  abilities  and  conveys  high  expectations  relative  to  individualized  levels  of  student  effort  and  achievement    

    4. Teacher  encourages  students  to  gain  deeper  understanding  of  content  or  mastery  of  a  skill  rather  than  just  complete  a  task.  

    5. Student  engagement  with  content  and  attention  to  task  is  developmentally  appropriate  given  their  current  levels  of  functioning.    

    1. Teacher  encourages  students  to  stay  on  task  and  uses  effective  strategies  to  support  the  class  and/or  individual  students  in  this  endeavor  (e.g.  verbal/visual  redirection;  incentive  systems;  providing  assistance  with  assigned  tasks;  peer  buddies).  

    2. Teacher  uses  different  methods  and  styles  of  learning  and  to  support  individual  students’  learning  needs.  

    3. Teacher  conveys  to  the  students  that  an  individual’s  value  is  not  based  on  their  academic  skills,  test  scores,  “intelligence,”  or  ability  to  perform  certain  tasks.  

     

     

  • 2c     Unsatisfactory   Basic   Proficient   Distinguished  

    Fram

    ework  Lang

    uage  

    Ineffective  classroom  routines  and  procedures  lead  to  loss  of  much  instructional  time.  The  teacher’s  management  of  instructional  groupings,  transitions,  and/or  the  handling  of  materials  and  supplies  are  ineffective,  leading  to  disruption  of  learning.  There  is  little  evidence  that  students  know  or  follow  established  routines.  The  teacher  does  not  give  volunteers  and/or  paraprofessionals  clearly  defined  duties.  

    Partially  effective  classroom  routines  and  procedures  lead  to  loss  of  some  instructional  time.  The  teacher’s  management  of  instructional  groupings,  transitions,  and/or  the  handling  of  materials  and  supplies  are  inconsistent,  leading  to  some  disruption  of  learning.  With  regular  guidance  and  prompting,  students  follow  established  routines.  The  teacher  assigns  duties  to  volunteers  and/or  paraprofessionals  during  portions  of  class  time.  

    Effective  classroom  routines  and  procedures  lead  to  minimal  loss  of  instructional  time.  The  teacher’s  management  of  instructional  groupings,  transitions,  and/or  the  handling  of  materials  and  supplies  are  consistent  and  effective  with  little  disruption  of  learning.  With  minimal  guidance  and  prompting,  students  follow  established  classroom  routines.  The  teacher  engages  volunteers  and/or  paraprofessionals  with  clearly  defined  duties  that  support  student  learning.  

    Effective  classroom  routines  and  procedures  maximize  instructional  time.  The  teacher  orchestrates  the  environment  so  that  students  contribute  to  the  management  of  instructional  groupings,  transitions,  and/or  the  handling  of  materials  and  supplies  without  disruption  of  learning.  Students  follow  classroom  routines  without  the  teacher’s  prompting.  Teacher  productively  engages  volunteers  and/or  paraprofessionals  in  tasks  that  make  a  substantive  contribution  to  student  learning  and  are  well  integrated  into  the  classroom  community.    

    Special  Edu

    catio

    n  Critical  A

    ttrib

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    1. Teacher  does  not  establish  and/or  maintain  regular  classroom  policies  and  procedures.    Students  require  frequent  teacher  reminders.  

    2. Teacher  does  not  have  a  system  for  distribution  and  collection  of  materials  causing  regular  loss  of  instructional  time.  

    3. Teacher’s  transitions  are  disorganized  and/or  unsafe  and  delay  instruction.  

    4. When  in  groups  away  from  teacher  or  working  independently,  students  are  consistently  off  task  and/or  disruptive.  

    5. Volunteers  and  paraprofessionals  do  not  have  set  tasks  and  must  await  teacher  instruction  before  assisting  students.  

    1. Teacher  has  established  regular  classroom  policies  and  procedures  in  place  but  may  not  fully  enforce  them.  Students  require  some  teacher  reminders.  

    2. Teacher  attempts  to  use  system  for  distribution  and  collection  of  materials  but  sometimes  there  is  a  loss  of  instructional  time.  

    3. Teachers’  transitions  do  not  always  include  clear  instructions  which  sometimes  cause  a  loss  of  instructional  time.  

    4. When  in  groups  away  from  teacher  or  working  independently,  students  are  mostly  on  task  but  teacher  redirection  is  often  necessary.  

    5. Volunteers  and  paraprofessionals  have  some  set  tasks  and  sometimes  need  further  teacher  instructions  to  assist  students.  

    1. Teacher  enforces  regular  classroom  policies  and  procedures.  

    2. Teacher  has  a  largely  efficient  system  for  distribution  and  collection  of  materials  leading  to  minimal  loss  of  instructional  time.  

    3. Teachers’  transitions  include  clear  instructions  leading  to  minimal  loss  of  instructional  time.  

    4. Classroom  policies  and  procedures  provide  support  to  students  to  enable  and  encourage  them  to  stay  on  task.    

    5. Teacher  has  provided  procedures/directions  for  volunteers  and/or  paraprofessionals  to  support  students’  learning.  

    Where  developmentally  appropriate  and  in  accordance  with  their  IEPs:  1. Students  assist  teacher  in  enforcing  

    regular  classroom  policies  and  procedures.  Students  initiate  basic  classroom  functions  and/or  prompt  each  other  to  perform  them.  

    2. Students  are  included  in  and  help  maintain  the  system  for  collecting  and  distributing  materials.  

    3. Students  help  facilitate  transitions.  4. When  in  groups  away  from  teacher  or  

    working  independently,  students  facilitate  staying  on  task.  

    5. Teacher  develops  the  skills  and  capacity  of  volunteers  and  paraprofessionals.  Students  may  initiate  interaction  with  volunteers  and  paraprofessionals  for  assistance  with  their  learning.    

     

  • 2d     Unsatisfactory   Basic   Proficient   Distinguished  

    Fram

    ework  Lang

    uage  

    Teacher  has  not  established  standards  of  conduct.  Teacher  engages  in  little  to  no  monitoring  of  student  behavior.  Teacher  does  not  use  positive  framing  to  model  and  reinforce  appropriate  behavior  or  redirect  inappropriate  student  behavior.  Teacher  does  not  respond  to  students’  inappropriate  behavior,  or  the  response  is  negative,  repressive,  and/or  disrespectful.  

    Teacher  has  established  standards  of  conduct,  but  there  is  inconsistent  implementation  so  some  student  behaviors  challenge  the  standards  of  conduct.  Teacher  inconsistently  uses  positive  framing  to  model  and  reinforce  appropriate  behavior  and  redirect  inappropriate  student  behavior.  Teacher  tries,  with  uneven  results,  to  monitor  student  behavior.  Teacher’s  response  to  students’  inappropriate  behavior  is  inconsistent  and  is  sometimes  disrespectful.  

    Teacher  has  established  standards  of  conduct  with  consistent  implementation  so  most  students  follow  the  standards  of  conduct  most  of  the  time.  Teacher  monitors  student  behavior  against  established  standards  of  conduct.  Teacher  uses  positive  framing  to  model  and  reinforce  appropriate  behavior  and  redirect  inappropriate  student  behavior.  Teacher’s  response  to  students’  inappropriate  behavior  is  consistent,  proportionate,  respectful  to  students,  and  effective.    

    Teacher  and  students  establish  and  implement  standards  of  conduct.  Students  follow  the  standards  of  conduct  and  self-‐monitor  their  behaviors.  Teacher’s  monitoring  of  student  behavior  is  subtle  and  preventive.  Teacher  uses  positive  framing  to  model  and  reinforce  positive  behavior  for  individual  students.  Teacher’s  response  to  students’  inappropriate  behavior  is  sensitive  to  individual  student  needs  and  respects  students’  dignity.  

    Special  Edu

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    n  Critical  A

    ttrib

    utes    

     

    1. Teacher  does  not  establish  classroom  rules  for  appropriate  student  behavior  or  makes  no  attempt  to  enforce  them.  

    2. Teacher  is  unaware  of  student  behavior  and  how  it  affects  the  classroom  environment.  

    3. Teacher  does  not  highlight  or  praise  appropriate  behavior.  

    4. Teacher  does  not  acknowledge  student  misbehavior  or  teacher’s  response  to  student  misbehavior  is  inappropriate.  

    1. Teacher  has  and  refers  to  some  classroom  rules  for  student  behavior  but  they  are  not  consistently  enforced.  

    2. Teacher  is  somewhat  aware  of  student  behavior  but  may  not  check  on  all  students.  

    3. Teacher  sometimes  attempts  to  highlight  and  praise  appropriate  behavior.  

    4. When  developmentally  appropriate,  teacher  sometimes  attempts  to  redirect  student  misbehavior  but  responses  are  not  consistent  for  all  students  or  some  are  inappropriate  in  tone.  

    1. Teacher  refers  to  and  enforces  developmentally  appropriate  classroom  rules  for  student  behavior.    

    2. Teacher  is  aware  of  student  behavior  and  frequently  checks  on  all  students.  

    3. Teacher  regularly  highlights  and  praises  appropriate  behavior.  

    4. Teacher  consistently  and  respectfully  responds  to  student  misbehavior.  When  developmentally  appropriate,  teacher  redirects  student  misbehavior  in  the  classroom.  

    Where  developmentally  appropriate  and  in  accordance  with  their  IEP:  1. Students  refer  to  and  help  enforce  

    classroom  rules  for  student  behavior  with  one  another.  

    2. Students  self-‐monitor  behavior,  with  support  from  teacher  as  needed  (e.g.,  visual  or  verbal  cues),  and/or  teacher  considers  individual  student  needs,  behavior  plans,  and/or  patterns  of  behavior  in  supporting  students’  behavioral  success.  

    3. Students  help  to  highlight  and  praise  appropriate  behavior  among  their  peers,  and/or  students  demonstrate  progress  (throughout  the  class  and/or  school  year)  in  their  classroom  behavior.  

    4. Teacher  adjusts  her/his  response  to  student  misbehavior  so  that  it  is  developmentally  appropriate  for  individual  students’  needs.    

       

  • 3a     Unsatisfactory   Basic   Proficient   Distinguished  

    Fram

    ework  Lang

    uage  

    Teacher  neither  clearly  communicates  standards-‐based  learning  objective(s)  to  students  nor  addresses  their  relevance  to  learning.  Teacher’s  directions  and  proce-‐dures  are  confusing  to  students.  Teach-‐er’s  explanation  of  content  is  unclear  or  inaccurate;  explanations  do  not  connect  with  students’  knowledge  and  experi-‐ence.  Teacher’s  spoken  and  written  lan-‐guage  is  unclear  and  incorrect.  Vocabu-‐lary  is  vague,  incorrect,  or  inappropriate  for  the  students’  ages  and  levels  of  devel-‐opment,  leaving  students  confused.  

    Teacher  does  not  communicate  the  standards-‐based  learning  objective(s)  to  students  or  does  not  address  their  rele-‐vance  to  learning.  Teacher  clarifies  direc-‐tions  and  procedures  after  initial  student  confusion.  Teacher’s  explanation  of  con-‐tent  contains  minor  errors,  and/or  some  portions  are  clear  while  other  portions  are  difficult  to  follow;  explanations  occa-‐sionally  connect  with  students’  knowledge  and  experience.  Teacher’s  spoken  and  written  language  is  unclear  or  incorrect.  Vocabulary  is  limited  or  inap-‐propriate  for  the  students’  ages  or  levels  of  development.  

    Teacher  clearly  communicates  standards-‐based  learning  objective(s)  to  students  and  addresses  their  relevance  to  learning.  Teach-‐er  clearly  communicates  directions  and  pro-‐cedures.  Teacher’s  explanation  of  content  is  clear  and  accurate,  and  connects  with  stu-‐dents’  knowledge  and  experience.  Teacher’s  spoken  and  written  language  is  clear  and  correct.  Vocabulary  is  appropriate  for  the  students’  ages  and  levels  of  development.  

    Teacher  clearly  communicates  standards-‐based  learning  objective(s).  Teacher  guides  students  to  articulate  the  relevance  of  the  objective(s)  to  learning.  Teacher  clearly  explains  directions  and  procedures,  and  anticipates  possible  student  misunderstanding.  Teacher’s  explanation  of  con-‐tent  is  thorough,  accurate,  and  clear,  enabling  students  to  develop  a  conceptual  understanding  of  content  while  making  connections  to  their  interests,  knowledge,  and  experience;  students  contribute  to  extending  the  content  by  explain-‐ing  concepts  to  their  classmates.  Teacher's  spo-‐ken  and  written  language  is  expressive,  and  builds  on  students'  language  development  and  understanding  of  content.  Vocabulary  is  appro-‐priate  for  the  students'  ages  and  levels  of  devel-‐opment;  students  contribute  to  the  correct  use  of  academic  vocabulary.  

    Special  Edu

    catio

    n  Critical  A

    ttrib

    utes    

     

    1. Teacher  does  not  convey  to  stu-‐dents  what  they  will  be  learning  or  why.  

    2. Teacher  does  not  communicate  directions  in  a  manner  appropriate  for  the  class.  

    3. Teacher  makes  major  content  errors  that  impact  student  understanding.  

    4. Teacher  does  not  attempt  to  con-‐nect  students’  prior  knowledge  or  interests  to  content.  

    5. Teacher  does  not  use  communica-‐tion  styles  that  are  developmentally  appropriate  for  the  class.  

    6. Teacher  does  not  adjust  communi-‐cation  to  clarify  student  misunder-‐standings.  

    1. Teacher  may  convey  to  students  what  they  will  be  learning  but  may  not  explain  why.  

    2. Teacher  sometimes  communicates  directions  in  a  manner  appropriate  for  the  class.  

    3. Teacher  may  make  minor  content  errors  that  sometimes  impact  stu-‐dent  understanding.  

    4. Teacher  sometimes  attempts  to  connect  content  to  students’  prior  knowledge  and  interests  but  exam-‐ples  and  explanations  may  not  be  clear.  

    5. Teacher  sometimes  uses  communi-‐cation  styles  that  are  developmen-‐tally  appropriate  for  the  class.  

    6. Teacher  sometimes  adjusts  commu-‐nication  to  clarify  student  misunder-‐standings.  

    1. Teacher  conveys  to  students  what  they  will  be  learning  and  why.  

    2. Teacher  communicates  directions  in  a  manner  appropriate  for  the  class,  taking  into  consideration  their  learner  profiles.  This  may  include  verbal  communication  (oral  or  written)  and/or  non-‐verbal  communication.  

    3. Students  indicate  that  they  understand  teacher  directions  by  engaging  in  devel-‐opmentally  appropriate  tasks  with  sup-‐port  from  the  teacher  as  needed  based  on  their  IEPs  and  learner  profiles.  

    4. Teacher  makes  few  to  no  content  errors  that  impact  student  understanding.  

    5. Teacher  uses  developmentally  appro-‐priate  explanations  and  examples  to  connect  the  content  to  students’  prior  knowledge  and/or  interests.  

    6. Teacher  uses  a  combination  of  oral,  written,  and/or  non-‐verbal  communica-‐tion  that  is  developmentally  appropriate  for  the  class.  

    7. Teacher  adjusts  communication  as  needed  to  clarify  student  misunder-‐standings.  

    1. Students  can  convey  their  understanding  of  what  they  are  learning  and  why  as  devel-‐opmentally  appropriate  per  their  IEPs.  

    2. Teacher  communicates  directions  in  a  man-‐ner  appropriate  for  individual  students,  based  on  their  learner  profiles.    Teacher  may  anticipate  and  address  possibly  confus-‐ing  parts  of  the  task  with  students.  

    3. Teacher  uses  specific  strategies  to  enhance  individual  students’  understandings  of  the  content.  Teacher  may  ask  students  to  dis-‐cuss  the  content  with  each  other  as  devel-‐opmentally  appropriate.  

    4. Teacher  does  not  make  content  errors  that  impact  student  understanding.  

    5. Teacher  encourages  students  to  make  con-‐nections  between  the  content  and  their  own  prior  knowledge  and/or  interests.  

    6. Teacher  uses  a  combination  of  oral,  written,  and/or  non-‐verbal  communication  that  is  developmentally  appropriate  for  individual  students.  

    7. Teacher  strategically  uses  challenging  or  new  language  to  expand  students’  vocabu-‐laries  in  a  developmentally  appropriate  manner.  

         

  • 3b     Unsatisfactory   Basic   Proficient   Distinguished  

    Fram

    ework  Lang

    uage

     

    Teacher  does  not  ask  questions,  or  all  ques-‐tions  are  of  low  cognitive  challenge,  requir-‐ing  only  short,  specific,  right  or  wrong  an-‐swers.  Questions  are  not  developmentally  appropriate.  Teacher  does  not  require  stu-‐dents  to  construct  viable  arguments.  Ques-‐tions  are  asked  in  rapid  succession  with  no  “wait  time”  for  student  processing  and  re-‐sponse.  The  discussion  is  irrelevant  to  the  content  under  study  or  predominantly  in  the  form  of  recitations,  with  the  teacher  mediat-‐ing  all  questions  and  answers.  Teacher  ac-‐cepts  all  contributions  without  asking  stu-‐dents  to  explain  or  provide  evidence  for  their  thinking.  Few  students  are  listening  and  responding  to  questions  and  answers  from  either  the  teacher  or  peers.    

    Teacher’s  questions  lead  students  through  a  single  path  of  inquiry  where  answers  are  seemingly  pre-‐determined,  with  few  high-‐level  or  open-‐ended  questions.  Questions  are  not  always  developmentally  appropriate.  Questions  are  asked  with  limited  “wait  time.”  Teacher  attempts  to  create  a  discus-‐sion  among  students  to  engage  with  the  content  under  study,  with  uneven  results.  Teacher  sometimes  requires  students  to  provide  evidence  of  their  thinking  or  con-‐struct  viable  arguments  based  on  evidence.  Some  students  are  listening  and  responding  to  questions  and  comments  from  their  teacher  or  peers,  and/or  a  few  students  dominate  the  discussion.  

    Teacher’s  questions  are  low-‐  and  high-‐level,  open-‐ended,  and  developmentally  appro-‐priate,  requiring  student  thinking,  and  pro-‐moting  understanding.  Teacher  creates  a  genuine  discussion  among  students,  provid-‐ing  adequate  “wait  time”  for  students  to  engage  with  the  content  under  study  and  stepping  aside  when  doing  so  is  appropriate.  Teacher  requires  students  to  provide  evi-‐dence  of  their  thinking  and  construct  viable  arguments  based  on  evidence.  Most  stu-‐dents  are  listening  and  responding  to  ques-‐tions  and  answers  from  their  teacher  and  peers.  Teacher  ensures  that  most  voices  are  heard  in  the  discourse.  

    Teacher  uses  a  variety  of  low-‐  and  high-‐level,  open-‐ended,  and  developmentally  appropriate  questions  to  challenge  students  cognitively,  advance  high  level  thinking  and  discourse,  and  promote  metacognition.  Teacher’s  discussion  techniques  enable  stu-‐dents  to  engage  each  other  in  authentic  discussions  about  the  content  under  study.  Students  formulate  questions  and  challenge  one  another  using  viable  arguments  based  on  evidence.  All  students  are  listening  and  responding  to  questions  and  answers  from  their  teacher  and  peers.  Students  them-‐selves  ensure  that  all  voices  are  heard  in  the  discourse.  

    Special  Edu

    catio

    n  Critical  A

    ttrib

    utes    

     

    1. Teacher  does  not  engage  students  in  developmentally  appropriate  question-‐ing.  Questions  are  not  developmentally  appropriately  challenging  for  students.  

    2. Teacher  does  not  provide  time  for  stu-‐dents  to  purposefully  think  through  and  respond  to  questions.  

    3. Students  do  not  engage  in  discussion  of  the  content  with  one  another.  There  is  no  teacher  mediation.  

    4. After  asking  a  question,  teacher  does  not  encourage  students  to  defend  their  answers  or  thinking.    

    5. Teacher  does  not  use  appropriate  strategies  to  encourage  students  to  participate  in  ways  appropriate  to  their  learner  profile  (e.g.  discussion,  activity,  etc.).  

       

    1. Teacher  sometimes  engages  students  in  developmentally  appropriate  ques-‐tioning  by  asking  questions  that  range  from  low  to  high-‐level  and  have  multi-‐ple  answers.  Questions  are  sometimes  developmentally  appropriately  chal-‐lenging  for  students.  

    2. Teacher  sometimes  provides  time  for  students  to  purposefully  think  through  and  respond  to  questions.  

    3. Students  sometimes  engage  in  discus-‐sion  of  the  content  with  one  another  with  some  teacher  mediation  when  de-‐velopmentally  appropriate.  

    4. After  asking  a  question,  teacher  some-‐times  encourages  students  to  defend  their  answers  or  thinking.  Sometimes  teacher  uses  developmentally  appro-‐priate  strategies  to  guide  students  to-‐wards  answers  that  are  based  accurate-‐ly  on  low-‐level  content  knowledge.  

    5. Teacher  sometimes  uses  developmen-‐tally  appropriate  strategies  to  encour-‐age  students  to  participate  in  ways  ap-‐propriate  to  their  learner  profile  (e.g.  discussion,  activity,  etc.).  

    1. Teacher  engages  students  in  develop-‐mentally  appropriate  questioning  by  asking  questions  that  range  from  low  to  high-‐level  and  have  multiple  answers.  Questions  are  developmentally  appro-‐priately  challenging  for  students.  

    2. Teacher  provides  time  for  students  to  purposefully  think  through  and  respond  to  questions.  

    3. Students  engage  in  discussion  of  the  content  with  one  another  with  teacher  mediation  when  developmentally  ap-‐propriate.  

    4. After  asking  a  question,  teacher  en-‐courages  students  to  defend  their  an-‐swers  or  thinking.  Teacher  uses  devel-‐opmentally  appropriate  strategies  to  guide  students  towards  answers  that  are  based  accurately  on  content  knowledge.  

    5. Teacher  uses  multiple  developmentally  appropriate  strategies  to  encourage  students  to  participate  in  ways  appro-‐priate  to  their  learner  profile  (e.g.  dis-‐cussion,  activity,  etc.).  

       

    1. Teacher  invites  student  inquiry,  debate,  and  encourages  students  to  reference  text(s)  or  their  own  life  experiences.  Students  may  contribute  to  discussion  by  asking  questions  themselves  as  de-‐velopmentally  appropriate.  

    2. Teacher  uses  additional  developmen-‐tally  appropriate  strategies  to  encour-‐age  students  to  think  and  respond  to  questions  appropriate  to  their  learner  profile.  

    3. Students  may  initiate,  lead  or  extend  discussion  of  the  content  in  ways  ap-‐propriate  to  their  learner  profile.  

    4. Students  may  ask  one  another  devel-‐opmentally  appropriate  questions,  push  each  other  to  defend  their  an-‐swers  or  thinking  and/or  build  on  or  challenge  each  other’s  ideas,  in  ways  appropriate  to  their  learner  profile.  

    5. Students  encourage  one  another  to  actively  participate  in  discussion  in  ways  appropriate  to  their  learner  pro-‐file.  

    3c  

  •   Unsatisfactory   Basic   Proficient   Distinguished  Fram

    ework  Lang

    uage  

    Tasks  do  not  align  with  standards-‐based  learning  objectives.  Tasks  and/or  text  require  only  rote  responses,  do  not  result  in  active  engagement,  and  do  not  chal-‐lenge  student  thinking.  Teacher  does  not  scaffold  or  differentiate  instruction  so  that  all  students  access  complex,  grade-‐level,  and/or  developmentally  appropri-‐ate  text  or  tasks.  The  teacher’s  pacing  of  the  lesson  is  too  slow  or  rushed,  and  tasks  are  not  sequenced  to  build  students’  depth  of  understanding.  The  teacher’s  grouping  of  students  is  unintentional  and  inhibits  student  mastery  of  the  con-‐tent/skills.  

    Tasks  partially  align  with  standards-‐based  learning  objectives.  Tasks  and/or  text  minimally  challenge  student  thinking,  and  result  in  active  engagement  of  only  some  students  while  allowing  others  to  be  pas-‐sive  or  merely  compliant.  Teacher  occa-‐sionally  scaffolds  and/or  differentiates  instruction  so  that  only  some  students  access  complex,  grade-‐level,  and/or  de-‐velopmentally  appropriate  text  and/or  tasks.  The  teacher’s  pacing  of  the  lesson  is  partially  appropriate,  and/or  tasks  are  partially  sequenced  to  build  students’  depth  of  understanding.  The  teacher’s  grouping  of  students  is  intentional  but  does  not  lead  to  student  mastery  of  the  content/skills.  

    Tasks  align  with  standards-‐based  learning  objectives.  Tasks  and  text  are  complex  and  challenge  student  thinking,  resulting  in  active  engagement  of  most  students.  Teacher  scaf-‐folds  and  differentiates  instruction  so  that  most  students  access  complex,  grade-‐level  and/or  developmentally  appropriate  text  and  tasks.  The  teacher’s  pacing  of  the  lesson  is  appropriate,  and  tasks  are  sequenced  to  build  students’  depth  of  understanding.  The  teacher’s  grouping  of  students  is  intentional  and  leads  to  student  mastery  of  the  con-‐tent/skills.  

    Tasks  align  with  standards-‐based  learning  objec-‐tives  and  are  tailored  so  virtually  all  students  are  intellectually  engaged  in  challenging  content.  Tasks  and  text  are  complex  and  promote  student  engagement  through  inquiry  and  choice.  Stu-‐dents  contribute  to  the  exploration  of  content.  Teacher  scaffolds  and  differentiates  instruction  so  that  all  students  access  complex,  grade-‐level,  and/or  developmentally  appropriate  text  and/or  tasks.  The  teacher’s  pacing  of  the  lesson  is  ap-‐propriate,  and  tasks  are  sequenced  not  only  to  build  students’  depth  of  understanding,  but  also  to  require  student  reflection  and  synthesis  of  the  learning.  Teacher’s  grouping  of  students  is  inten-‐tional  and  students  serve  as  resources  for  each  other  to  achieve  mastery  of  the  content/skills.  

    Special  Edu

    catio

    n  Critical  A

    ttrib

    utes  

     

    1. Teacher  does  not  ask  students  to  complete  activities  and  assignments  that  address  stated  learning  objec-‐tives  in  ways  appropriate  to  their  learner  profiles.  

    2. Few  students  attempt  to  complete  developmentally  appropriate  learn-‐ing  tasks.  Tasks  do  not  challenge  students  to  apply  a  range  of  low  and  high  level  thinking  skills  in  ways  ap-‐propriate  to  their  learner  profile.  

    3. Texts  or  materials  do  not  represent  developmentally  appropriate  chal-‐lenge  for  students  and  require  them  to  practice  new  skills  and  deepen  content  understanding.  

    4. Tasks  and  materials  are  not  appro-‐priately  modified  to  address  learning  needs  of  groups  of  students  and/or  do  not  support  high  student  en-‐gagement  in  ways  appropriate  to  their  learner  profile.  

    5. Teacher  does  not  deliver  instruction  or  transition  to  new  tasks  at  an  ap-‐propriate  pace  and  in  an  order  that  supports  students’  learning  needs.  

    6. Teacher  does  not  group  students  based  on  learning  objectives/tasks.  

    1. Teacher  sometimes  asks  students  to  complete  activities  and  assignments  that  address  stated  learning  objec-‐tives  in  ways  appropriate  to  their  learner  profiles.  

    2. Some  students  attempt  to  complete  developmentally  appropriate  learn-‐ing  tasks.  Tasks  sometimes  challenge  students  to  apply  a  range  of  low  and  high  level  thinking  skills  in  ways  ap-‐propriate  to  their  learner  profile.    

    3. Some  of  the  texts  or  materials  rep-‐resent  developmentally  appropriate  challenge  for  students  and  require  them  to  practice  new  skills  and  deepen  content  understanding.  

    4. Some  of  the  tasks  and  materials  are  modified  to  address  learning  needs  of  groups  of  students  and  support  some  student  engagement  in  ways  appropriate  to  their  learner  profile.  

    5. Teacher  delivers  some  instruction  and  transitions  to  new  tasks  at  a  pace  and  in  an  order  that  supports  students’  learning  needs.  

    6. Teacher  sometimes  groups  students  based  on  learning  objectives/tasks.  

    1. Teacher  asks  students  to  complete  activ-‐ities  and  assignments  that  address  stat-‐ed  learning  objectives  in  ways  appropri-‐ate  to  their  learner  profiles.  

    2. Most  students  attempt  to  complete  developmentally  appropriate  learning  tasks.  Tasks  challenge  students  to  apply  a  range  of  low  and  high  level  thinking  skills  in  ways  appropriate  to  their  learn-‐er  profile.  

    3. Texts  or  materials  provide  developmen-‐tally  appropriate  challenge  for  students  and  require  them  to  practice  new  skills  and  deepen  content  understanding.  

    4. Tasks  and  materials  are  modified  to  address  learning  needs  of  groups  of  stu-‐dents  and  support  high  student  en-‐gagement  in  ways  appropriate  to  their  learner  profile.  

    5. Teacher  delivers  instruction  and  transi-‐tions  to  new  tasks  at  an  appropriate  pace  and  in  an  order  that  supports  stu-‐dents’  learning  needs  and  engagement.  

    6. Teacher  groups  students  based  on  learn-‐ing  objectives/tasks;  grouping  supports  students’  developmentally  appropriate  learning  needs  and  engagement.  

    1. Teacher  asks  students  to  complete  devel-‐opmentally  appropriate,  challenging  and/or  inquiry-‐based  activities  and  assignments  that  address  stated  learning  objectives,  en-‐courage  in-‐depth  study  of  content,  and/or  engage  individual  students  in  ways  appro-‐priate  to  learner  profiles.  

    2. Students  have  input  and/or  choice  of  learn-‐ing  tasks  and/or  how  to  complete  them  in  ways  appropriate  to  their  learner  profile.  

    3. Students  have  input  about  choice  of  texts  or  materials  in  ways  appropriate  to  their  learn-‐er  profile.  

    4. Tasks  and  materials  are  modified  to  address  individual  student  learning  needs.  Students  have  input  about  how  to  modify  them  when  appropriate  to  their  learner  profile.  

    5. Teacher  adjusts  pacing  of  instruction  and  transitions  based  on  developmentally  ap-‐propriate  student  needs  or  input.  Teacher  provides  time  and  strategies  for  students  to  review  or  discuss  the  tasks,  skills  or  content  in  ways  that  are  appropriate  to  their  learner  profile.  

    6. Students  have  input  about  grouping  and/or  initiate  groups  that  support  the  needs  of  their  peers  in  ways  that  are  appropriate  to  their  learner  profiles.  

         

  • 3d     Unsatisfactory   Basic   Proficient   Distinguished  

    Fram

    ework  Lang

    uage

     

    Teacher  does  not  use  formative  assessment,  neither  to  check  for  completion  of  work  nor  to  monitor  progress  and  check  for  student  understanding.   Students  cannot  explain  the  criteria  by  which  their  work  will  be  assessed  and  do  not  engage  in  self-‐  or  peer-‐assessment.  Teacher’s  feedback  is  absent  or  of  poor  quality.  

    Teacher  sometimes  uses  formative  assess-‐ment  to  monitor  progress  toward  student  understanding  of  the  learning  objectives  and/or  teacher  checks  for  completion  of  work  rather  than  student  understanding  of  the  learning  objectives.  Students  can  explain  some  of  the  criteria  by  which  their  work  will  be  assessed;  few  engage  in  self-‐  or  peer-‐assessment.  Teacher’s  feedback  is  general  and/or  doesn’t  advance  specific  learning.  

    Teacher  uses  formative  assessment  during  instruction  to  monitor  progress  and  to  check  for  student  understanding  of  the  learning  objectives.  Students  can  explain  the  criteria  by  which  their  work  will  be  assessed;  some  of  them  engage  in  self-‐  or  peer-‐assessment.  Teacher  provides  accurate  and  specific  feedback  to  individuals  and  groups  of  students  to  advance  learning.  

    Teacher  fully  integrates  formative  assess-‐ment  into  instruction,  and  uses  it  to  monitor  progress,  and  to  check  for  understanding  for  individual  students.  Students  can  explain,  and  there  is  some  evidence  that  they  have  contributed  to,  the  criteria  by  which  their  work  will  be  assessed.  Students  self-‐  and  peer-‐assess  to  monitor  their  progress.  Teacher  and  students  provide  individualized  feedback  that  is  accurate,  specific,  and  ad-‐vances  learning.    

    Special  Edu

    catio

    n  Critical  A

    ttrib

    utes    

     

    1. Teacher  does  not  use  developmentally  appropriate  assessments  during  class  to  check  student  progress  on  learning  objectives  and/or  annual  goal(s)  in  ways  appropriate  to  their  learner  pro-‐file.  There  are  no  assessments  to  check  for  understanding  as  well  as  progress  and/or  completion.  

    2. Teacher  does  not  make  clear  the  ex-‐pectations  for  student.  Teacher  does  not  ask  students  if  they  know  how  their  work  will  be  evaluated.  

    3. Teacher  does  not  asks  students  to  evaluate  and  reflect  upon  their  own  work  or  the  work  of  their  peers.    

    4. Teacher  does  not  provide  feedback.    

    1. Teacher  sometimes  uses  developmen-‐tally  appropriate  assessments  during  class  to  check  student  progress  on  learning  objectives  and/or  annual  goal(s)  in  ways  appropriate  to  their  learner  profile.  Assessments  some-‐times  check  for  understanding  as  well  as  progress  and/or  completion.  

    2. Teacher  sometimes  clarifies  the  expec-‐tations  for  student  work.  When  asked,  students  do  not  say  they  know  how  their  work  will  be  evaluated  in  ways  appropriate  to  their  learner  profile.  

    3. Teacher  sometimes  asks  students  to  evaluate  and  reflect  upon  their  own  work  or  the  work  of  their  peers  in  de-‐velopmentally  appropriate  ways.    

    4. Teacher  sometimes  provides  individual  and  groups  of  students  with  develop-‐mentally  appropriate  feedback  on  their  work.  Feedback  is  sometimes  aligned  to  expectations  and  suggests  future  improvements.  

    1. Teacher  regularly  uses  developmental-‐ly  appropriate  assessments  during  class  to  check  student  progress  on  learning  objectives  and/or  annual  goal(s)  in  ways  appropriate  to  their  learner  pro-‐file.  Assessments  check  for  understand-‐ing  as  well  as  progress  and/or  comple-‐tion.  

    2. Teacher  makes  clear  the  expectations  for  student  work  and  may  share  devel-‐opmentally  appropriate  examples  of  high  quality  student  work.  When  asked,  students  say  they  know  how  their  work  will  be  evaluated  in  ways  appropriate  to  their  learner  profile.  

    3. Teacher  regularly  asks  students  to  evaluate  and  reflect  upon  their  own  work  or  the  work  of  their  peers  in  de-‐velopmentally  appropriate  ways.  Most  students  are  able  to  do  so.  

    4. Teacher  regularly  provides  individual  and  groups �